


The Reign

by Little_oblivion



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Countess Ashlyn, Drug Use, F/F, Princess Ali
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-12
Updated: 2020-01-15
Packaged: 2021-02-18 04:06:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21771469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Little_oblivion/pseuds/Little_oblivion
Summary: "I'm giving you an out," Ali whispered. "I know what is expected of me, and I know that it's not what you want. So if you want to leave... this is the time to do it."Ashlyn cut her off with a kiss. "All I want is you. As long as I'm by your side, nothing else matters."
Relationships: Ashlyn Harris/Ali Krieger
Comments: 17
Kudos: 122





	1. A shining jewel beside the sea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look! Another Krashlyn fic!

_"The sun has gone beneath the land_

_The wind has turned to chill_

_The wolves may howl in darkness_

_But still I fear no earthly ill_

_For Avemarre will hold me,_

_And Avemarre will keep me,_

_Avemarre will reign forever,_

_A shining jewel beside the sea."_

_Avemarre national anthem, written in 1711_

“This is a horrible idea.”

Kyle rolled his eyes. “Everything is going to be fine. You worry too much.”

Ali wrinkled her forehead. “Uh, I’m pretty sure you just don’t worry enough.”

“Just relax.” Her brother threw his arm around her shoulders, giving her a bit of a shake as they made their way down the darkened streets.

“I’m serious! What if someone notices that we’re gone? If Mom and Dad-”

“What? If Mom and Dad somehow figure out where we are? Fat chance, Alex. They’re out in the country, we’re the least of their concerns right now.”

“I’m just saying, if not them, then someone else. What if Jill comes looking for me?”

“She’ll think you’re asleep. And none of us are dumb enough to wake Alexandra Krieger when she’s asleep,” he teased.

Ali elbowed him in the side. “Fine. But when we get in trouble- which we will- this was all your idea.”

“Alright, shit, your concerns have been noted, now chill the fuck out. Did you bring your fake ID?”

She rolled her eyes. Anything that required her to pretend to be someone else had bad news written all over it. “Yeah.”

“Good. Turn here.” She had no choice but to follow him down an alleyway, dodging around the few people milling about. She kept her head down, hoping her hair would cover her face. Kyle led her to a door being guarded by a giant man in all black. Kyle produced his ID and Ali did the same.

“Look at me,” the bouncer demanded, and she reluctantly did so. If he realized who she was he didn’t give any visible sign other than a smile. “Okay.”

She took it back with a nervous smile. “Thank you.” Let it never be said that she didn’t have manners.

“Enjoy your night.” He opened the door and she followed her brother inside. She could already hear the loud thump of music, not to mention a stench that can only come from hundreds of people squeezed into a dark, hot space, the sweat and alcohol combining to create its own distinctive odor. They reached the end of the hallway and pushed past a curtain, coming to stand on an elevated platform running the perimeter of the room. Ali looked down at the mass of people below them, the flashing lights coloring everyone purple and green. Kyle took her hand in his pulled her along the walkway, not bothering to explain as he got to an unmarked door, pushing it open. She followed him inside and her heart lifted.

“Ash!”

Her girlfriend grinned from her position on the couch, sprawled out in a manner that would seem sloppy on someone that wasn’t impeccably dressed. “Hey baby.” She stood up from the couch and Ali detached herself from Kyle to come and throw her arms around Ashlyn’s neck, not caring who was watching as Ashlyn kissed her full on the mouth.

“What are you doing here? I thought you were still on holiday?”

“I thought I would come back a little early, give you a little surprise,” Ashlyn smirked.

“Surprise, bitch!” Kyle called from the other side of the room where he had quickly nestled between two guys who seemed a little older than they were.

“Kyle helped me pull it off, obviously,” she said as she rolled her eyes.

“Well I’m so excited to see you.” She gave her another kiss.

“Do you want a drink?”

“Sure.” She let Ash pull her to the corner where several bottles lay waiting. She scooped some ice up in a glass, then poured in equal parts Belvedere and club soda, squeezing a lime in it before handing it over with yet another kiss. “You spoil me,” Ali murmured against her lips.

“Always. How have things been?”

Ali shrugged, swirling her drink a bit before looking back up. “Same as always. Lots of standing around, looking pretty.”

“You always look pretty.”

“Mm…” she gave her another kiss, albeit more chaste. “Not everyone thinks so,” she said quietly.

“I saw the article. Don’t give it another thought. They’re just being bastards.”

“I know, I know. It’s just… ugh. Can’t make anyone happy.”

“I know baby.” Ali sighed and took another sip of her drink. “Do you wanna go down and dance?” She nodded eagerly, hurriedly finishing off her drink, the ice cubes clinking against her teeth. She looked over at Kyle to tell him where she was going, but he was already making out with the cute Greek boy on his left. She rolled her eyes and followed Ashlyn out of the private room.

Ashlyn gripped her hand tightly as she led her down the stairs to the dance floor. She elbowed them into the middle of the crowd then spun around so that she was facing Ali, wrapping her hands around her hips and pulling her close. Ali brought her hands up to Ashlyn’s neck, letting her fingers find their way into the short, blonde strands.

She wanted to tell Ashlyn how much she had missed her while she had been on her trip to Italy, that everything had been unbearably boring and monotonous, however the music was far too loud to even attempt to speak over, so she made herself content with just smiling up at her, biting her lip as she took in the love swirling in her eyes. Finally, she shifted closer, resting her cheek against Ashlyn’s as their hips found the beat. Even with the overwhelming smell of everyone around them, she could still smell the distinctly crisp smell that was uniquely Ashlyn.

The song changed to something a little more uptempo, and she suddenly felt someone else’s hands on her waist. She gave a low groan. The last thing she wanted was to have to fend off some gross dude, but she would if need be. She took a deep breath, turning away from Ashlyn with resolve, only to be met by her brother’s grinning face.

“Gotcha.”

She punched him in the arm. “You jerk! I thought you were some gross guy!”

“Who’s to say I’m not?” he asked with a waggle of his eyebrows, and she snorted. “Come on, dance with me.” He grabbed her wrist and made her start jumping around with me. “We’re here to party, bitch!”

She laughed and went along with it. She knew somewhere in the back of her mind that this wasn’t her brother. This was merely a facet of him, the one pulled out by loud music, cute boys, and most importantly, booze and drugs. She wasn’t an idiot, she could see how big his pupils were. She had no idea what he had taken when she came downstairs.

She didn’t like Kyle’s drug use. She knew it would land him in all kinds of trouble with their family and the law, but more importantly she worried that one of these days he would fuck up and take the wrong thing, overdosing before anyone could save him.

 _This isn’t the time to have that fight_ , she told herself, and instead focused on trying to match his energy, throwing her arms around like he was, not even trying to match the rhythm of the song. Suddenly his attention was diverted elsewhere. Right as the song ended, he walked away without an explanation, making his way off the dance floor. Ashlyn wrapped her arms around her, tucking her chin over her shoulder.

“We’ll find him later,” she assured her, and Ali had no choice but to listen to her. After all, there was no way they would find him in this crowd, especially if he didn’t want to be found. Instead she leaned back, grinding her ass back into her girlfriend, feeling a groan rumble through Ashlyn’s chest as she did so.

They lost themselves in the music, moving with the crowd as the music ebbed and flowed. Ashlyn’s hands were low on her hips, her thumbs playing with slip of exposed skin between her skirt and her top. Ali alternated between placing her hands over Ashlyn’s and reaching them back to tangle them in Ashlyn’s hair.

Hours had passed by the time they made their way back to the private room. Ashlyn made her another drink and they settled onto one of the couches, invading each other’s personal space as they got caught up on everything they had missed while apart for the past three weeks, then made their way to shamelessly making out.

The door to the room banged open and Kyle came in, taking a minute to locate Ali even though there weren’t that many people there. When he finally did, he lurched forward. “Als… we gotta go. We gotta leave.”

“What, why?” Ali whined. She hadn’t really wanted to come originally, but now that she was just the slightest bit buzzed and wrapped up in her girlfriend’s strong arms, she didn’t want to leave. He shoved his cell phone in her face and she pushed it back so she could read the message there, her face paling. “Oh fuck.”

“What’s wrong?” Ashlyn asked as Ali pulled herself to standing.

“We have to get back, someone noticed Kyle wasn’t there, so they looked for me. We’ve got to hurry back and try to think up a plausible reason for why no one could find us at two o’clock in the morning.”

“I’ll walk you guys home.” Ash stood up, grabbing her suit jacket from the back of the sofa but Ali grabbed her arm.

“No, it’ll be easier to sneak in if it’s just the two of us. But I love you,” she gave her a quick kiss, not missing Kyle’s annoyed huff behind her, “and I’ll text when we’re home.”

“Okay. But be careful, alright?”

“Always.”

“Oh my god, can you hurry up? It’s not like our fucking freedom is on the line or anything.”

She rolled her eyes and gave him a slight push. “Okay, okay, let’s go.” They found their way back to the curtain they had first come through, slipping down the dark hallway and out the door, past the bouncer. Ali’s heel caught on a bit of uneven pavement, but Kyle simply grabbed her by the elbow and kept them both marching forwards.

She knew there was no use in pointing fingers at this moment, they were both probably about to be in worlds of trouble, but she just couldn’t help herself. “I told you someone was going to notice! But no, we had to go out.”

“Um, I didn’t hear you complaining just now when you were tongue fucking your girlfriend.”

She scoffed. “Don’t be crude, Kyle, it’s not a cute color on you.”

“Just shut up so I can get us home.” The two lapsed into annoyed silence as they sped walk down the streets, both trying to keep their heads down to avoid recognition but Ali doing a far better job.

They reached a gate in a tall wooden fence and Ali shoved her hand through, flicking the latch up and letting them through. They tiptoed through the darkened garden, taking care to avoid the pools of light coming from the security lamps. They came through one of the French doors and hurriedly typed in the alarm code. They both stayed perfectly still for a moment, waiting and listening from some sort of sign.

“I don’t hear anything,” Ali breathed, and they both began to relax.

“Alright. If anyone asks, we… went outside for a walk. Yeah, we just wanted to clear our heads, y’know, look towards the future with solemnity, that sort of bullshit.”

Ali gave a snort as they walked from the kitchen to the living room. “Oh yeah? We went for a walk? So why exactly do you smell like a mini bar?”

“It’s not my fault! Alastair and I were doing shots of Don Julio and Nathaniel bumped into him, he spilled it all over me.” He plucked at his shirt, holding it further away from his body so that he could better inspect the damage.

“We’ll make sure to send it off for dry cleaning in the morning.” Ali and Kyle both froze, staring at each other wide eyed. A light flipped on at the other end of the large room, revealing a very stern looking woman sitting in an armchair, glaring at the siblings. She came to her feet and clasped her hands behind her bed. “Good evening, Your Royal Highness, Your Highness. Or should I say good morning?”

Ali shifted her weight from one foot to the other, her breath caught in her chest. “Jill! We… we were just out… for a walk.”

“So I hear.” She stared at them for several long, tense moments. “Do you have any idea how close we came to alerting the royal guard of your absence? That when we discovered your beds empty, our natural assumption was that foul play was somehow involved? I don’t know if I’m relieved or simply dismayed that you sent everyone into a panic because you insist on behaving like stupid, common schoolchildren!” Her voice was hard with disappointment, and Ali couldn’t help but drop her head in shame. “Do you have anything to say for yourselves?”

“Everyone can just chill out, alright? We’re adults, we can do what we want! Everyone just calm the fuck down.”

Jill turned to stare incredulously at Kyle. “Adults? What about your behavior tonight speaks to you being adults? Sneaking out of the house? We’re not keeping you prisoners here, you could have just told us!”

“Oh sure,” he drawled, crossing his arms over his chest. “Yeah, we could have told you so that you could have sent half a dozen armed guards out with us, along with a police escort and a mandatory sweeping of the club. Nothing says party like body armor!”

“We’re trying to keep you safe!”

“You’re trying to keep us in line.”

“No more of this. You’ve mistaken me for someone who is going to tolerate your lip and you’re sorely mistaken. I suggest you both retire to your rooms for the night because your mother has been informed of tonight’s events, and Her Majesty the Queen plans on making a trip to have breakfast with you at eight o’clock sharp.”

Kyle gave a huffy sigh, muttering under his breath as he stalked from the room. Ali turned to follow but was stopped by Jill’s voice.

“Princess Ali.” She slowly turned back around, her stomach aching at the displeasure she saw in the older woman’s eyes. “You know better than this.”

“I didn’t… Kyle said-”

“Your brother says a lot of things. I said that _you_ know better. Sneaking out? No guards? Drinking at a club when you’re only twenty? Coming home with hickeys on your neck?” She shook her head as Ali’s hand whipped up to press at the mark Ashlyn had left just below her jaw. “Your behavior tonight has been disappointing.” She laid a hand on her shoulder. “I only say that as someone who cares about you, someone who was very worried when we couldn’t find you.”

Ali nodded. “I’m sorry.”

Jill sighed. “Go to bed. You have an early meeting with the Queen.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place in the fictional country of Avemarre, a vaguely European modern kingdom (Genovia, anyone?) In this fic Ash is 21 and Ali is 20, about to turn 21.


	2. I'm sorry mother, I'm sorry I let you down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay!!! Work has been crazy, but I finally got this story mapped out to my liking. So here we go!

_‘I'm sorry, mother I'm sorry, I let you down_

_Well, these days I'm fine_

_No these days I tend to lie_

_I'll take the west train, just by the side of amsterdam_

_Just by my left brain, just by the side of the tin man_

_I'm sorry, brother I'm sorry, I bring you down_

_Well, these days you're fine_

_No these days you tend to lie_

_You'll take the west train, just by the side of amsterdam_

_Just by your left brain, just by the side of the tin man_ ’

_Amsterdam, Imagine Dragons_

“Good morning, Your Highness.”

Ali groaned as her curtains were pulled open, letting the bright light of morning fill her bedroom. She burrowed further into her pillow, pulling her blankets up and over her head. “No…” she whined.

“It’s 6:45. As a reminder, you have breakfast with the Queen at 8:00.”

As her sleepy brain began to cooperate, Ali gave another groan. Her mother was not going to be happy with her and Kyle, that was for certain. And as much as she would like to go back to sleep and put that off a little longer, she knew that she would be even less impressed if Ali showed up to the grand dining room looking like she’d just staggered in from a bar.

She dragged herself to sitting and peered blearily around her room. It was immense, the second largest in the estate, just after Kyle’s. A sleek flat screen TV took up most of the wall opposite her ornate four poster bed. The rest of the room was filled out with antique furniture, some pieces passed down through generations of relatives that had proceeded her. She pushed back her duvet and the servant who had pulled the curtains, Abby, stepped forward to hold up her robe. She put it on, pushing her hair from her face.

“Will you be showering this morning, Your Highness?”

“Definitely.”

“Would you like me to lay out clothes while you do so?”

“Yes, and if you could also get me some coffee.”

“Of course.”

Ali made her way into her en suite. She sighed, wishing she had the time to fill up the clawfoot tub and soak. Instead, she flipped on the shower and shucked off her robe and pajamas, stepping underneath the spray.

Her head was pounding, but she knew that was more likely from lack of sleep and mounting anxiety than the few drinks she’d had last night. She could only imagine that Kyle was coming down and feeling a thousand times worse. She didn’t see how the high could possibly be worth the after effects, but that was the key difference between her and older brother and her: Kyle lived for the moment, while Ali worried and fretted over the consequences of even the most mundane actions.

Once she felt suitably clean, she got out and dried off. She pulled the robe back on and crossed back into her bedroom. A soft cotton dress was laid over a plush armchair along with a cardigan and proper undergarments. A pair of sensible flats lay on the ground next to it.

“I thought you might want something comfortable for today,” Abby said from her post behind Ali. “I can select something more formal if you desire.”

“No, this is fine. Thank you.” She heard Abby step into the hallway, and Ali changed into the outfit. She settled onto the stool in front of her dressing table and took a sip of the coffee that Abby had fetched for her, humming in contentment.

“Your Highness?”

“You can come back in.”

Abby stepped behind her and picked up the brush from the tabletop. “How would you like your hair styled today?” When Ali was at university she was pretty much on her own, doing her own hair and making her own coffee. For the most part, she was completely normal student, albeit one who had a body guard accompanying her at almost all moments. But here at the Floresole Estate… well, being a princess certainly had it’s perks.

“Waves are fine.” She began painstakingly applying makeup as Abby went about drying and styling her hair, making sure to cover up the hickey Ashlyn had sucked into the tender skin of her neck. Appearances were important, even if you weren’t planning on appearing in public. All it took was one picture, snapped when you thought no one was watching, and the press would have a field day.

Once her hair and makeup were done, she plucked a pair of diamond earrings from her jewelry box, putting them in as she stared at herself in the mirror. She finished off the look with a diamond tennis bracelet and came to her feet, turning to Abby.

“Well? How do I look?”

“You look lovely, Princess Ali.”

She couldn’t help but give her a dull look. “And would you tell me if I looked otherwise?”

The slightly younger woman faltered for a moment, unsure of what to say. Ali could see her mind whirling back and forth; on one hand, she wanted to assure Ali that she was telling the truth in this moment, but she also didn’t want to take a chance that Ali was in fact displeased with how she looked and wanting Abby to agree with her.

“You look wonderful,” she repeated, but Ali could see that she wasn’t sure this was the correct response expected of her.

She sighed again. It was a strange feeling, knowing everyone around her was simply there out of allegiance to the crown, not necessarily because they had any sort of affection for her as a person. It was lonely.

“Thank you, Abby.”

Abby brought a finger to her earpiece, listening intently. She glanced at Ali. “Her Majesty’s car has just arrived. Are you ready to go to breakfast?” Ali nodded and headed that way, passing more servants on the stairs who stopped and bowed their heads as she passed.

When she arrived in the dining room, she was the only one there, save for the butlers standing along the walls. She walked to her chair and it was immediately pulled out for her. She took her seat, clasping her hands in her lap as she waited. _Where was Kyle?_ The proper protocol was for her and Kyle to already be here when their mother arrived. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes in annoyance. Her brother was so caught up in the fact that he would one day be king that he sometimes forgot that he wasn’t yet.

The door banged open and Kyle slunk inside. His face was pale and drawn, his hair obviously unwashed even if it was combed. He was wearing a button down and khakis, but the sleeves were rolled messily to the elbows.

“Glad you could make it.”

He flopped down opposite her with a grunt. He covered his eyes with his hand. “Is she here yet?”

“She’ll be here momentarily.” Jill’s voice rang through the dining room, apparently a bit too loudly for his liking. “Good morning Your Royal Highness, Your Highness.”

“Good morning,” Ali answered dutifully.

The large oak double doors at the end of the room opened. “Her Majesty, the Queen.” Ali came to her feet, Kyle following moments later. Their mother came through, immaculately dressed from the hat on her head to the pumps on her feet. She strode across the room, not paying much notice to anyone in the room save her children. She pressed kisses to both of their cheeks then gracefully took her seat, Ali and Kyle following her lead.

A butler stepped forward. “Coffee?”

“Yes,” the three answered in unison, and cups and saucers were slid in front of them with a practiced ease.

“We shall take breakfast as soon as it is ready, please.” She shook out her napkin and laid it across her lap before looking between her son and daughter. “So. Would either of you like to explain the events of last night to me?”

Ali’s stomach began to ache. She hated being in trouble. Still, she held her tongue, looking across at Kyle. It was, after all, his idea to go out last night. However, he was staring grumpily at the wall, slumped to the side of his chair.

She sighed and paused a moment as dishes of eggs benedict were slid in front of them. “Fine. I’ll begin. I was in bed, asleep, when I was woken up to a phone call from Jill saying that my children, the Crown Prince and the Princess, are not in their beds even though it’s past one in the morning, and no one seems to know where they are. There’s no sign of a struggle, and both of their cellphones are on, however, and the GPS says they’re together in the Electric District of the city. She tells me that it seems that they’ve decided to sneak out without their guards, but they can’t be for certain, because, as I just said, they’re completely alone and susceptible to attack!”

“No one attacked us,” Kyle cut in with a roll of his eyes. “The worst thing that happened was I spilt tequila on my shirt-”

“Hold your tongue,” their mother hissed.

“Everyone is acting like we went galivanting through a war zone, instead of dancing with friends-”

“Everyone is dismissed, I need to speak to my children in privacy.” All of the butlers and servants save for Jill and Gregg, Kyle’s royal secretary, exited the room, pulling the doors closed behind me. “You do not speak to me that way. You seem to have forgotten, _Your Royal Highness_ , that in addition to being your mother I am also your Queen, the Monarch Supreme. Drop the attitude.”

Ali watched with wide eyes as Kyle seem to physically stop himself from retorting. “So what all happened in the Electric District last night, Kyle? Were you drinking?”

“I’m twenty one-”

“Alex isn’t!” She turned to Ali. “I have to say, I’m not unfamiliar with your brother treating everyone around him with complete disdain, but the fact that you were involved with this is gravely disappointing. This isn’t like you.”

She swallowed thickly. “We just… We just wanted to have fun.”

“Fun.” Her mother stared shrewdly at her. “Fun. Do you think it was fun for Jill, to think you had been abducted from your bed? That it was fun for me to get that phone call in the middle of the night?”

“I’m sorry,” Ali breathed.

“I can only imagine the Countess Harris was involved in this.”

Ali took a deep breath. “She, we met her there, but, it was a surprise, she just got back from Italy-”

“I’m sorry, is she unaware of where to find you? Has she somehow lived in Hyalust for her entire life and never happened across this estate? I can understand how that might be possible, seeing as it’s only about 200,000 square feet,” her mother quipped sarcastically. “Oh but then, she has been here before, hasn’t she? She was the brains behind last summer’s topless sunbathing scandal, wasn’t she?”

Ali sighed. It was true that the few times she did find herself on this end of trouble, Kyle and Ashlyn were usually equally involved. It had led to much speculation from both of her parents that perhaps Ashlyn, although she was a Countess in her own right, was unfit to date a child of the crown.

“Don’t… It was my idea.” Ali glanced up at Kyle in surprise. “Ashlyn wanted to surprise Ali here, I’m the one who suggested we go to the Electric District.”

Their mother studied him carefully. “Why?”

“Because I wanted to go out. And I thought we could combine the two.”

“What drugs did you do last night?”

“Oh for God’s sake!” He threw his napkin on the table.

“Don’t act like that’s an unrealistic question!”

“I didn’t do anything!”

“Ali.” She turned to look at her mother, dread settling in her stomach. “Did he get high last night?”

She swallowed as she considered her options. On one hand, she didn’t want to lie to her mother. That just wasn’t who she was. And anyways, she was also concerned about Kyle’s drug use, and she didn’t think helping him cover it up would help anything. But on the other… Kyle was her big brother. She loved him more than anyone else on earth. He was the only person who truly understood what it was like to live a life permanently on display in a glass castle, never quite what people were wanting.

“I didn’t see him take anything,” she finally said. It wasn’t a lie. She’d seen him throwing back drinks and had seen the evidence in his eyes, but she hadn’t actually seen him take anything. She did her best not to squirm under her mother’s unbelieving glare.

“Are you finished with your breakfast?”

Ali glanced down at the eggs benedict she had barely touched. “Um, well-”

“Allow me to rephrase, I need to speak to your brother. Sort something else out for breakfast.”

She nodded, coming to her feet. She placed her napkin back on the table and hurried through the door Jill was holding open for her.

“Would you like me to have the kitchen prepare you something? I can have it sent to your room if you’d like?”

She stared miserably down the hallway. “I’ll go down and get something. Do I have anything happening today?”

Jill opened the small agenda she always had with her. “You were invited to do lunch with the Agricultural Society at 1:00, however I can push it to next month if you wish. Also, you do have the trip to Northern Ireland next week, we still need to nail down the definite itinerary, we can spend the afternoon discussing the different options…”

Ali stopped listening as Jill continued talking. All she really wanted to do was crawl back into bed, take an eight hour nap and forget the disappointed look in her mother’s eye. She pulled out her phone and sent off a text, nodding along to whatever Jill was saying. It vibrated almost immediately with a reply, bringing a smile to her face. She cut Jill off.

“I’ll do the Agricultural luncheon today, but from there I’ll be going to Countess Harris’s apartment, I won’t be back until tomorrow morning.”

Jill paused for a moment, and Ali could see her sorting through her thoughts, debating whether to approach the situation as her royal secretary, who’s only job was to go along with her word and schedule accordingly, or as her governess, the person who had more or less raised her from birth while her parents governed a nation.

“Is that… what about Ireland trip?” she asked delicately.

“Ash was there just a few weeks ago. I’ll ask her for restaurant recommendations while I’m there,” Ali said with a slight smile.

Jill gave a bit of a huffy laugh. “I doubt her recommendations will quite match up with what Her Majesty was picturing.”

“Perhaps not. But that’s where I will be spending the afternoon and evening. I’m going to pack my overnight bag.” She started up the stairs, not waiting to hear Jill’s reply. Her girlfriend was finally back in Avemarre, and she wanted to spend the night showing her just how appreciative the crown was that she had returned from her trip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who are some characters you would like to see in this fic?


	3. I'm starting to question my manifest destiny

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back from Europe!!! Dublin and London were beautiful, but I'm happy to be back in New York lol
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

_I'm coming to the edge of the widest canyon_   
_My companions' dear_   
_I'm starting to question my manifest destiny_   
_My claim to th_ _is frontier_

_I can hear your tendrils still digging  
For everything that's walked this Earth once living  
Then to be exhumed and burned to vapor  
Can you save her?  
Now she's in the air  
Radical and free  
Neither here nor there  
She's obliged to no one  
She's obliged to no one  
Yeah, yeah_

_Manifest, Andrew Bird_

The watery sunshine trickled through the leaves, lending a magical feel to everything it touched. The Good Friday luncheon was a long standing tradition among the leaders of the world; it provided a chance for everyone to show up in beautiful clothing and take pictures with other powerful people, full of fake smiles to prove to their people that everything was okay, that peace was (for the most part) here to stay. But beneath the publicity level, it also served as an excuse to see old friends, and Ali was never one to pass that up.

The UK was hosting this year, so representatives from every major country were gathered at an estate outside of London, the men rolling up their shirt sleeves as they partook in games of croquet as the women pretended like their heels weren’t being sucked into the slightly soggy ground.

“Is that Ali Krieger I see?” Ali’s spirits lifted as she twisted around in her seat, spotting one of her best friends walking her way. She gave a wide smile and stood up.

“Why hello, _Your Majesty.”_ Ali gave a quick curtsy, and Crystal swatted her on the arm.

“That’s enough of that,” the young queen said with a heavy eye roll.

“Surely you have better things to do than talk to little old me,” Ali continued.

Crystal pulled her into a hug, her mouth coming to her ear. “I am so sick of talking to all of these old people, you have no idea.”

Ali laughed. “Well, that’s what you get for being married to one of the youngest ruling monarchs in living history.”

“Well, it’s not as if I exactly planned it that way,” Crystal cracked without thinking, and then her face dropped. Pierre had been in the same position as Kyle: a crown prince who would take over in twenty to thirty years when his parents were no longer able to rule. However, the King of France had passed away due to a heart attack just a short six months after he had married Crystal, a young business professional from America. She had suddenly found herself the Queen Consort of France at just twenty six years old. Ali laid a hand on her arm.

“I know what you meant.”

Crystal gave her a small smile. “It’s definitely been stressful year,” she murmured where just Ali could hear her. She understood her fear of speaking the thought too loudly; all it took was one person overhearing you complaining about something and suddenly it was all over the news and people were doubting your ability to rule.

“How have things been? I should have reached out more, I’m sorry.”

Crystal waved a hand. “Girl, don’t even. I remember what it’s like to be in college. Things have been okay. I mean, for the most part, Pierre is the one whose life really changed. I just got taken along for the ride.”

“Are you even tall enough to ride this ride?” Ali teased, and Crystal gave her a look of mock offense before pinching her side.

“Listen, I may be a queen now, but I’m still from Long Island, and I will bust your ass.”

The two laughed and began to walk along the edge of the estate, putting space between themselves and the other rulers. “Seriously though. I should have reached out.”

“We’re really doing okay, promise.” Crystal gave a furtive glance around to make sure that no one was listening. “How are you? How is Kyle?”

Ali sighed. Crystal was one of the only people outside of her parents, their royal secretaries, and Ashlyn that knew about how bad things got with Kyle sometimes. “It… He convinced me to sneak out with him last week. We got caught, obviously, but thankfully no one in the media caught wind of it. He just…” She gave a frustrated groan. “He’s just such an idiot sometimes. Why can’t he think about the consequences of his actions?”

“From the sounds of it, you worry enough for him.”

“Are you saying I should let him destroy himself?”

“No. But I am saying that… he’s a big boy, Als. He’s the future King. And it’s up to him to pull it together. You can’t force him to give up drugs and drinking.”

Ali nibbled on her bottom lip. “It would be one thing if it was just drinking every now and then. I mean, I’m in college for god’s sake! I have nothing against the occasional night out with friends. But… the coke? The pills? And it’s… it’s not every night, but it’s happening more and more.”

“All you can do is love him,” Crystal reminded her gently.

“I know.” Ali grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze

“Careful now, or the rumor mill will say that you’re seducing me, pulling our nations to the brink of war!” She draped a hand across her forehead dramatically.

“You wish!” They turned and began walking back towards the luncheon.

“How’s Countess Harris?”

Ali smiled. “Great. Amazing.”

“Aw, I’m glad to hear it.”

“I’m trying to spend as much time as possible with her before school starts up and I’m back to spending hours upon end in the library.”

“Ah, young love,” she teased gently before coming to a stop. She gestured with her head towards a duo that had just arrived in the garden. “Isn’t that Tobin Heath, the US soccer player?”

Ali looked where directed and gave her friend a small smirk. “Yup.”

Crystal raised her eyebrows. “I thought she was dating President Cruz’s daughter, Shirley?”

“She was,” Ali confirmed. “And it seemed like the two were pretty serious, but then suddenly they split up and the next thing everyone knew she was spotted with her arm around Vice President Press’s middle daughter.”

“What?”

“Rumor is they first met at some function where Tobin was Shirley’s date, then met again when the women’s team won the World Cup and were invited to the White House.”

“God damn,” Crystal murmured. “I mean, I’m all for the American Women’s team kicking everyone’s asses every time they have the chance, but could Heath maybe keep it in her pants and not damage the relations between the US and Costa Rica? We’ve put too much work in to world peace to have it torn apart by royal dyke drama.”

Ali snorted, but managed to cover it with a small cough when someone from the Brazilian delegation turned to stare at her curiously. She gave a small wave then turned back to look at Crystal. “You’re too much.”

“You love me.”

“You have no idea.” Ali bumped her shoulder into Crystal’s. “How’s the royal baby making going?”

“Can I keep nothing private?!”

“Oh please,” Ali said as she rolled her eyes. “You’re talking to someone whose first period was leaked to the press. Privacy doesn’t exist when you’re us.”

Crystal gave a tight-lipped smile. “It’s… fine. We had been trying and then, well then King Leon had his heart attack. And neither of us were in a particularly sexy mood after that. So we’re taking everything slowly.”

“It’ll happen when it’s supposed to happen,” Ali reassured her. She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to find herself face to face with none other than the girl they had been discussing earlier, Christen Press.

“Your Majesty, Your Highness,” she said with a small curtsy,

“Christen!” Ali curtsied back. “How are you?”

“I’m well, thank you. I assume the two of you are familiar with Tobin?” They nodded as the soccer player gave them a slightly shy wave.

“Of course, number seventeen on the women’s national team!” Crystal crowed. “You make me proud to be an American.”

“Mm, I’m pretty sure you gave that up when you married King Pierre,” Christen teased. “It’s nice to officially meet you, Tobin. I must admit, I hated when Avemarre was knocked out in the semifinals, but if we had to lose to anyone, I’m glad it was you guys.”

Tobin gave her a grin, scratching at the back of her neck. “It’s nice to meet you as well, Ali. I mean, Your Highness- no, your Royal Highness.” She fumbled over her words a bit as a blush began to rise in her cheeks. Ali and Crystal held back giggles at her obvious nerves.

“Well, it’s technically just Your Highness, but just Ali is fine.”

“And you can call me Crsytal as long as we’re all among friends.” Crystal put out her fist for Tobin to bump and she did so.

“Christen? Can I borrow you for just a moment?” Chris raised a hand in acknowledgement to her father then touched Tobin’s shoulder.

“I’ll be right back.” She walked towards the vice president and Tobin turned to face Ali and Crystal, somewhat uncomfortable.

“I’m gonna be honest, I’ve never really caught on to the whole royal title thing. Yknow, when to say highness or royal highness and stuff…”

Ali smiled. “It’s not that complicated if someone will just explain it to you. My brother is first in line to take over the throne, so that makes him the crown prince, so he’s referred to as ‘Your Royal Highness.’ I’m second in line, just a princess, so people say, ‘Your Highness.’”

“Oh, _just_ a princess?” Tobin repeated in a teasing tone, and as happy as Ali was with Ashlyn, she felt a little flutter in her stomach, and suddenly understood why Tobin had proved successful in seducing so many daughters of the world leaders.

“Yeah, I guess that does kind of make me sound like a brat, sorry.”

Crystal tilted her head slightly, the smile not leaving her face. “It’s funny, I figured you would have learned all about titles when you were dating Shirley.”

Ali tried to figure out a way she could smack the Queen of France upside the head without drawing attention to them.

Tobin only faltered slightly. “We didn’t discuss it much.”

“So tell us more about what it was like to play in the World Cup this summer!” Ali cut in before Crystal could say anything else.

Soon after, Ali was whisked away by her mother to speak to a few of the German dignitaries who were distant cousins. The day passed, full of light talk and fake smiles, until the Queen decided it was time for them to depart back to Avemarre. As Christen said her goodbyes, her eyes once again fell on Christen and Tobin, noticing the way they always seemed to be touching, even if only slightly. The sight made her smile, as well as wish that Ashlyn had been able to tag along today. But it also made her wonder.

Being involved with the daughter of a world leader was not easy, whether the leader was a monarch or an elected leader. It meant having your entire life on display, out in the open for people to dissect and discuss as they saw fit. Ali was sure that Tobin had experienced as much when she was dating Shirley, so why in the world would she want to date Christen after experiencing the struggle firsthand? If Ali was being completely honest with herself, she wasn’t sure that given the choice, she would actively choose this lifestyle. The freedom that comes with anonymity… the idea was intoxicating.

“Did you have a nice time?” her mother asked as she and Kyle settled into the back of the car that would drive them to the airstrip.

“I did. It was so nice to see Crystal again.”

“She looked lovely as always. Are she and Pierre having problems conceiving?”

“Mom!” they both replied, and she gave them a look over the top of her glasses.

“I’m only asking what everyone in the world is thinking. With King Pierre being an only child, if something were to happen to him, rule would pass to his cousin, Jean Baptiste, and the boy’s an idiot. He has no business running a nation.”

“I think Jean Baptiste is a lot of fun,” Kyle quipped.

“Yes. Fun. What everyone wants in a monarch,” the Queen retorted back.

“Maybe… if something were to happen to Pierre, maybe France would make a move towards democracy,” Ali said softly as she stared out the window.

Her words were met by silence, and she turned to see them looking at her, her brother curious, her mother annoyed.

"Let's make sure to keep all talk of abandoning monarchy for democracy in the confines of our car where no one can hear."

Ali rolled her eyes. "I didn't say Avemarre should move towards democracy, or France for that matter. I was just saying... I don't know. It... is an option. If the ruling family doesn't have anyone adequate who is up to the job, why not elect someone who the people feel is?"

"Our family has been on the throne for generations. We have done our very best to lead Avemarre towards greatness, to achieve comfort and safety for our citizens. Anyone who says differently is flat out ignoring history!"

She sighed, already regretting not keeping her mouth shut. "I'm not suggesting otherwise."

"The last thing we need is the media printing a story that the Princess of Avemarre has secret Democratist ties!" her mother snapped, referring to the Avemarrian political party that wanted to remove the monarchy and elect their own officials.

"I don't have- forget I said anything. Crystal and Pierre are working on having a baby, I'm sure it'll happen soon."

Her mother didn't reply, and the three of them rode the rest of the way to the royal jet in silence.


End file.
